1.
American football
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The offense must advance at least ten yards in four downs, or plays, or else they turn over the football to the opposing team, if they succeed, they are given a new set of four downs. Points are primarily scored by advancing the ball into the teams end zone for a touchdown or kicking the ball through the opponents goalposts for a field goal. The team with the most points at the end of a game wins, American football evolved in the United States, originating from the sports of association football and rugby football. The first game of American football was played on November 6,1869, during the latter half of the 1870s, colleges playing association football switched to the Rugby Union code, which allowed carrying the ball. American football as a whole is the most popular sport in the United States, Professional football and college football are the most popular forms of the game, with the other major levels being high school and youth football. As of 2012, nearly 1.1 million high school athletes and 70,000 college athletes play the sport in the United States annually, almost all of them men, in the United States, American football is referred to as football. The term football was established in the rulebook for the 1876 college football season. The terms gridiron or American football are favored in English-speaking countries where other codes of football are popular, such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, American football evolved from the sports of association football and rugby football. What is considered to be the first American football game was played on November 6,1869 between Rutgers and Princeton, two college teams, the game was played between two teams of 25 players each and used a round ball that could not be picked up or carried. It could, however, be kicked or batted with the feet, hands, head or sides, Rutgers won the game 6 goals to 4. Collegiate play continued for years in which matches were played using the rules of the host school. Representatives of Yale, Columbia, Princeton and Rutgers met on October 19,1873 to create a set of rules for all schools to adhere to. Teams were set at 20 players each, and fields of 400 by 250 feet were specified, Harvard abstained from the conference, as they favored a rugby-style game that allowed running with the ball. An 1875 Harvard-Yale game played under rugby-style rules was observed by two impressed Princeton athletes and these players introduced the sport to Princeton, a feat the Professional Football Researchers Association compared to selling refrigerators to Eskimos. Princeton, Harvard, Yale and Columbia then agreed to play using a form of rugby union rules with a modified scoring system. These schools formed the Intercollegiate Football Association, although Yale did not join until 1879, the introduction of the snap resulted in unexpected consequences. Prior to the snap, the strategy had been to punt if a scrum resulted in bad field position, however, a group of Princeton players realized that, as the snap was uncontested, they now could hold the ball indefinitely to prevent their opponent from scoring. In 1881, both teams in a game between Yale-Princeton used this strategy to maintain their undefeated records, each team held the ball, gaining no ground, for an entire half, resulting in a 0-0 tie

2.
Bert Baston
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Albert Preston Baston was an American football player for the University of Minnesota, where he was an All-American and one of the first great catchers of the forward pass. He was awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism in World War I, in 1954 he was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame. Baston was a phenomenon in high school, where he played for Saint Louis Park High School in St. Louis Park. Entering the University of Minnesota to study law, he played football on the schools elevens at left end for three seasons beginning in 1914 and he was captain of the team his final year. Walter Camp named him on his All-American team both in 1915 and in 1916, in addition to his football honors, while at Minnesota Baston was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity. During World War I Baston served with the 17th Company of the 5th Marine Regiment and he was a captain and fought in France. He suffered a leg injury while serving in the Battle of Belleau Wood, with a hole in his leg big enough to stick a broom handle through. Baston spent almost a year in the hospital, and when he got out he started a bakery in Detroit and he married Ruby Laird in 1920. Baston played that year for the Cleveland Tigers, an early NFL team. Eventually the couple returned to Minneapolis and started the Bert Baston Chevrolet Co. at 3038 Hennepin Avenue and his sales manager during the 1930s was George Richard Baston, the only surviving son of Berts uncle, John Judson Baston. Baston served as the Minnesota Gophers ends coach from 1930 to the 1941, Baston and Ruby had two children, Fred, who also served in World War II and in the Korean War, and a daughter, Priscilla. Baston resumed his career after the war. The 1947 St. Louis Park City directory listed his Baston-Barington Chevrolet Co. at 2612 Lyndale Avenue and he remained active in the community and was appointed as General Chairman of the 1948 Minneapolis Aquatennial. Baston moved to St. Cloud later in life and opened a dealership there, in 1954 he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Baston died in St. Cloud on November 15,1979, Bert Baston at the College Football Hall of Fame

3.
Guy Chamberlin
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Berlin Guy Champ Chamberlin was a professional American football player and coach in the National Football League. He played at Nebraska Wesleyan University and then at the University of Nebraska and he graduated from Nebraska in 1916. Originally a halfback, in 1915 he moved to end and was named All-American end and he served in the United States Army from 1917 to 1919. He served as player-coach on four NFL title teams,1922 and 1923 Canton Bulldogs,1924 Cleveland Bulldogs, in 1925, Chamberlin became player-coach of the Frankford Yellow Jackets, who finished only sixth that year, with a record of 13–7. In 1926, the Yellow Jackets went 14–1–1 to win the NFL Championship and his career NFL coaching record was 58 wins,16 losses, and 7 ties. Chamberlin has the best win percentage of any coach in NFL history, Chamberlin returned to Blue Springs in 1932, where he became a farmer, state livestock inspector, and businessman. A well-known authority on football, he became a public speaker and he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1962 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965. Guy Chamberlin at the College Football Hall of Fame Guy Chamberlin at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Guy Chamberlin at Find a Grave

4.
Blake Miller (American football)
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William Blake Miller was an American football player and coach. Miller played college football at Michigan Agricultural College from 1912 to 1915 and he was selected as the captain of the 1915 team and a first-team end on the 1914 All-Western college football team. In November 1915, Miller was declared ineligible to compete further in intercollegiate athletics after it was revealed that he had played in two football games with the Detroit Heralds. After leaving college, Miller served as the coach of the Central Michigan Chippewas football team in 1916. In 1919, he returned to Michigan Agricultural College as an assistant coach responsible for the backfield, Miller also played professional football in the first two seasons of the National Football League. He appeared in two games for the Detroit Heralds in 1920 and in three games for the Detroit Tigers in 1921, Miller died in 1987 from injuries suffered in a fire at his home in Lansing, Michigan at the age of 97. He was inducted into the Michigan State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005, Blake Miller at the College Football Data Warehouse

5.
Laurens Shull
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Laurens Corning Spike Shull was an All-American football player who was killed in action during World War I. He played football, baseball and basketball for the University of Chicago from 1913–1916 and he died of wounds suffered at the Battle of Château-Thierry in July 1918. Shull was born in Sioux City, Iowa, the son of a prominent Iowa attorney and he graduated with honors from Sioux City High School in 1912 where he was captain of the football, basketball and baseball teams. After graduating high school, Shull enrolled at the University of Chicago where he won three varsity letters in each of three sports – football, basketball and baseball and he was selected as a first-team All-Western player and a second-team All-American in 1915. In announcing Shulls selection for the 1915 All-Western team, Walter Eckersall wrote and he was the main cog in the Maroon forward wall and seldom allowed substantial gains to be made through him. He generally mixed in every play, varied his charges and was always down the field under kicks, the Maroon followed the ball with rare cunning and has had enough experience to hold his own with any lineman in the West. He was also president of the Young Mens Christian Association during his year and was a delegate to a YMCA conference of student leaders at Ithaca. After graduating from Chicago, Shull became employed as a vice president at the Farmers Bank in Woodward. During his time in Woodward, Shull coached the school football team. He also became affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons and Benevolent, in May 1917, after the entry of the United States into World War I, Shull entered the U. S. Army officer training camp at Fort Snelling. In August 1917, he was commissioned as a lieutenant in the infantry. He sailed for Liverpool, England on September 7,1917, in December 1917, he became an officer in the 26th Infantry, Company F, First Division. Shull and his men engaged in raids in no mans land and he was deployed to Flanders where he was part of 15 engagements and was slightly injured in a German gas attack. On July 18,1918, Shull was wounded at Battle of Château-Thierry, three weeks later, he died at American Red Cross Hospital No.1 at Neuilly a suburb of Paris, of complications due to bullet wounds. Shull was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his action in leading his men against a German machine-gun nest on the day he suffered the wounds from which he died. He told me that he wanted to get into the Fort Sheridan Camp where so many of his friends would be, so Im going to fool them and enlist. From his talk I gathered that Spike did not look upon his enlistment in the spirit of adventure. He gave me the impression that he felt there was no sufficient reason why he should not go

6.
Vic Halligan
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Victor H. Halligan was an American football player. He played for the University of Nebraska from 1912 to 1914 and was the first All-American football player to be selected from the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team, Halligan was born in Omaha, Nebraska, the son of John J. Halligan and Carrie Halligan. He graduated from North Platte High School before enrolling at the University of Nebraska, at the University of Nebraska, Halligan played at the left tackle and fullback back positions for the University of Nebraska football team from 1912 to 1914. He was also a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, as a sophomore in 1912, he played at the fullback position and helped lead Nebraska to a 7–1 record. At the end of the 1913 season, Halligan was chosen as the captain of Nebraskas 1914 team, as a senior, Halligan again played at the left tackle position and led the 1914 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team to its second consecutive undefeated season with a record of 7–0–1. In Halligans three seasons at Nebraska, the Cornhuskers put together a 14-game win streak and compiled a record of 22–1–1. At the conclusion of the 1914 football season, Halligan became Nebraskas first All-American football player and he was selected as a first-team All-American by Frank G. In 1915, Walter Camp again selected Halligan as a third-team All-American, though Halligan had already graduated, camps error in choosing Halligan in 1915 was fodder for Western critics who complained that Camp made his selections without knowing the Western teams and players. The Milwaukee Journal in December 1915 wrote, This season, Camp picked Halligan of Nebraska for a tackle position on his third team. One would naturally think, then, that Halligan had been a bearcat -- some football player, but, it happens that Halligan graduated last June. He was a coach this season, pretty good joke on Walter, eh, picking a coach as one of the star players of the country. Also, do you wonder why some folk dont put much stock in all-America teams, Halligan was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 1973. Halligan graduated from the University of Nebraska with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1915, during World War I, he served in the U. S. Army field artillery. After the war, Halligan returned to North Platte, Nebraska, from 1919 to 1937, he practiced with the firm of Halligan, Beatty & Halligan. He became senior partner of law firm of McIntosh & Halligan in 1937, Halligan was a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and served as the local organizations exalted ruler. He was also active in the American Legion and represented the State of Nebraska as a delegate to the American Legion convention in St. Louis. In his later years, he donated land on the side of Interstate 80 east of Highway 83 that was used in the formation of Mid-Plains Community College. His hobbies included golf, hunting, and football and he married Louise Ottenstein in May 1920 at North Platte, Nebraska

7.
Gideon Smith
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Gideon Edward Smith, sometimes referred to as G. E. Smith, was an American football player and coach. Smith played college football at Michigan Agricultural College, now known as Michigan State University and he was the first African-American varsity athlete in any sport at MAC. Smith also played one game of professional football while still attending MAC. He appeared as a tackle in one game for the Canton Bulldogs of the Ohio League and he played for the Bulldogs as a late fourth-quarter substitute on November 28,1915 against their rivals, the Massillon Tigers. During that game he made a fumble recovery that preserved a 6-0 Canton victory over the Tigers for the state championship. Smith was the last African-American to play football exclusively prior to the formation of the National Football League. After graduating from MAC in 1916, Smith became a teacher at the West Virginia Collegiate Institute and he also served in 1920 as a teacher at the Virginia Normal and Industrial Institute in Matoaca, Virginia. In 1921, Smith became the football coach at Hampton Institute, now known as Hampton University, in Hampton. He remained the head coach at Hampton until 1940, compiling a 102-44-12 record, including six one-loss seasons. His 1931 team outscored opponents 187 to 6, Smith was inducted into the Hampton Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009. Gideon Smith at the College Football Data Warehouse

8.
William D. Cochran
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William Duscharme Pink Cheeks Cochran was an American football player. He played guard and tackle for the University of Michigan from 1913 to 1915 and he was a first-team All-Western lineman and the captain of Michigans 1915 football team. He later operated a freight trucking line based in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and he also served as a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis from 1936 to 1950, including five years as the Deputy Chairman from 1946 to 1950. A native of Houghton in Michigans Upper Peninsula, Cochran played football at Houghton High School and was the Upper Peninsula shot put and he enrolled at the University of Michigan as a student in the College of Pharmacy. While at Michigan, Cochran played as a tackle or guard in every game for Fielding H. Yosts Michigan Wolverines football teams from 1913 to 1915 and he was known among his teammates by the nickname Pink Cheeks. Playing at the position, Cochran established himself as one of the stars of the 1914 Michigan Wolverines football team. The authors of Spaldings Official Foot Ball Guide dubbed Cochran one of the three stars of the 1914 Michigan team, Michigan has two stars in Capt. Raynsford, at center, and Cochran, at tackle. Both big, powerful men, they had the real foot ball intuition, at the end of the 1914 season, Cochran was unanimously elected as the captain of the 1915 Michigan Wolverines football team. Upon his election as captain, The Michigan Alumnus reported, Michigans new captain starred on defense all during the season just past, Cochran was also selected as a 1914 first-team All-Western player by Walter Eckersall in the Chicago Daily Tribune. In January 1915, newspapers across the country ran a story about the Michigan football captains inability to defeat his father in a wrestling match, according to the story, Cochran had long hoped to be stout enough to throw his father in a wrestling match. During his senior year, Cochran was 5 feet,8 inches tall, Cochran has increased many pounds in weight since the fall of 1914, and his additional avoirdupois is to be made use of next to the lighter Howe, who will probably play center. Cochran credited ginger ale as the secret to his weight gain, Cochran also participated in ice hockey and track at Michigan. After graduating from Michigan, Cochran returned to the Upper Peninsula and he was the owner of William D. Cochran Freight Lines in Iron Mountain, Michigan, and he also served a director of the Commercial Bank. In 1936, he acquired a motor freight line in Minnesota, extending his operations into Ontonagon, Rockland, Calumet, in June 1936, he was also named a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. He served for eight years as a Class C director of the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank before being appointed the Deputy Chairman in 1946 and he served as the Deputy Chairman for five years from 1946 to 1950. In 1998, Cochran was inducted into the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame

Publisher's advertisement in Collier's Weekly (January 6, 1898) announces new features including an increase in pages, more illustrations, new departments, and the beginning of Henry James' novella The Turn of the Screw

Photography by Jimmy Hare on the cover of Collier's Weekly (March 19, 1898)

First page of the 12-part serialization of The Turn of the Screw in Collier's Weekly (January 27 – April 16, 1898)